As part of a ceremony honoring this year's Nurse of the Year, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian received a $15 million gift late last week from philanthropists Julia and George Argyros, Hoag officials said. It was announced on Friday.
The grant will go to the Julia Argyros Center for Nursing Excellence, which provides scholarships for nurses to continue their education. About 87% of nurses at Hoag have a bachelor's degree in nursing, and many more have master's degrees, hospital officials said.
“It warms our hearts to share such a special moment with the nurses at Hoag,” daughters Stephanie and Lisa Argyros said in a statement. It was inspiring to see how much they cared about their work, and I'm glad that our family can support them, and that this gift will give them even more opportunities to grow. The nurses at Hogue care so much about the community and we are so grateful to be able to show our appreciation.”
As part of the ceremony, nurse Sara Tureczek was named “Nurse of the Year.”
Tureczek, who works in the sub-ICU, said it was a coincidence that she was there when Rick Martin, the hospital's chief nurse, announced that he would be named this year's top nurse a few days before the ceremony. Told.
“It was the day of the Nurses' Day celebration…Hogue goes all out every year, but this was the first time I've stayed the whole time. I try to make it in time for lunch, but the nurses…・I often don't get to watch the awards of the year until the end. I'm a very emotional person. I cry easily outside of work, and I get emotional easily. were mainly in shock,” Turecek said. “[The honor] It was very realistic because I didn't expect it. ”
Turecheck said she later learned from colleague Ginny Offstein that she and other members of her floor were spearheading Turecheck's nomination campaign.
she said with a laugh. “I don't know what I did to get her favor. I think she's a really high-standard nurse. There are a lot of nurses on our floor who deserve recognition, but I I feel very, very lucky to have people who work with me and believe in me. I think it's a really heavy burden to carry, because now people can see it when they look at me. from [I’m] I'm not a perfect nurse. They will see others who make mistakes and are far from perfect nurses, but they will be an inspiration to others that you don't have to be perfect to earn such a high reputation. hoping. ”
Tureczek started working at Hogue in the summer of 2012, but said her love for the hospital began at least two years ago, when she was in nursing school. She said she entered this field because she had no idea what to do with her life when she was 19 years old, but she has since gone on to have a fulfilling career in the field of nursing. She said it was because she was seeing visible relatives. Ms. Tureczek almost quit during her first two weeks, but she said her interactions with her first patients at Hogue sealed her deal.
“That must have been 14 years ago and it still is. I still feel the same way about Hogue. I hope that Hogue is where I will be seeing patients,” Tureczek said.
She said she is grateful to Amy Michalski for allowing Tureczek to choose to work in the sub-ICU, where he was assigned as needed, after completing his “float pool” shift. . She also thanked her boss, Hilary Stagliano, and her charge nurse, Fiona Goodwin, for encouraging her to have a healthy work-life balance.
“Our support of Hogue's renowned nursing program reflects the Argyros family's passion and respect for the critical role that nurses play in Hogue's quality and culture of compassionate care,” said Hogue President and Chief Executive Officer. Chief Executive Officer Robert Braithwaite said in a statement on Friday. “We are so grateful for the generosity of Julia, George, Lisa, and Stephanie. This gift will help nurses continue to meet their educational goals, take on advanced clinical roles in patient care, and expand their skill sets. , will allow us to mentor new Hogue nurses and enhance patient care, which is at the heart of what we do.”